Manchester City head coach Josep Guardiola has highly praised 24-year-old Erling Haaland for his hat-trick in the second round of the English Premier League against Ipswich, which ended in a 4-1 victory.
ESPN quotes Guardiola as saying:
He can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano and Messi. The numbers are unbelievable at his age. He's an incredible threat, and hopefully, he can be here for many years.
Guardiola noted Haaland's impressive scoring record from his time at Salzburg and in Germany. The coach expressed hope that the player would remain with the team for a long time.
Manchester City has accumulated six points from their two matches in the Premier League and is currently at the top of the English league table. Their next match will be against West Ham on August 31, starting at 19:30 GMT+3.
Haaland joined the English club from Borussia Dortmund in July 2022. During his time with Manchester City, he has played 100 matches, scored 91 goals, and provided 14 assists. His contract with the club is valid until the end of June 2027, and his transfer market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at €180 million.
Earlier, the English club officially announced the return of midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona.